Marcionite Christians are not Gnostics. Our faith is not built on hidden teachings or secret revelations. Instead, it is grounded in Prima Scriptura—the authority of the first Christian Bible, the Testamentum—which openly and unapologetically proclaims the truths of our doctrine. These beliefs not only stand in the light of public scripture but also predate the formation of any other existing Christian church.

Though once vast in size and global in reach, the Marcionite Church has never been a burdensome institution encumbered by rigid hierarchies or layers of ecclesiastical control. Every individual is a sovereign child of God, fully capable of communion with Him in the present moment. The purpose of the Marcionite Church is to foster and strengthen that divine relationship, while offering a spiritual community grounded in fellowship, encouragement, and shared faith.

In the years following the resurrection of Christ, the early Christian community was marked not by unity and peace, but by intense division and theological strife—even among the Apostles themselves. Far from being a harmonious beginning, this era was one of doctrinal conflict and spiritual contention.

At that time, the teachings and accounts of Jesus Christ were transmitted primarily through oral tradition, with written scriptures being rare, fragmented, and difficult to access. Competing narratives—many of them spurious or falsified—began to circulate widely, contributing to confusion and discord among believers.

It was amid this backdrop of controversy that Marcion of Sinope—a shipbuilder and bishop—undertook the monumental task of gathering and preserving the authentic writings of the Apostle Paul, along with the true Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ as it had been received. These sacred texts, previously entrusted to the Apostle John, were compiled and formally transcribed by Marcion in 128 C.E., forming the first Christian Bible: the Testamentum. Notably, this compilation excluded the Hebrew Bible, reflecting the theological clarity and distinction upheld by Marcionite doctrine.

Using the Testamentum as the foundation, Marcion established the Marcionite Church, which quickly expanded throughout the known world. Even the early Catholic Church relied on the Testamentum as a reference for translating Christian scriptures from Greek into Latin—though subsequent revisions and interpolations significantly altered the original message.

Today, a growing number of biblical scholars and theologians recognize that the canonical gospels found in modern Bibles are heavily edited versions of an earlier, purer gospel—the original Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ preserved in the Testamentum.

There is profound comfort in rediscovering the true origins of your Christian faith and holding in your hands the first Christian Bible—the Testamentum. With a deeper understanding of the Church’s authentic history and teachings, you are now called to move forward, remaining actively connected with fellow believers in the Marcionite Christian community.

“We are the price of the blood of Jesus.”
— Marcion of Sinope